


Christmas In Riverside

by awarrington



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Christmas, Family, First Time, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Holidays, Hot Sex, Humor, K/S Advent Calendar, M/M, POV Alternating, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-27
Updated: 2012-11-27
Packaged: 2017-11-19 16:26:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awarrington/pseuds/awarrington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unscheduled visit to Earth over the holidays provides Kirk with an opportunity to introduce Spock to his mom. Her assumption about the nature of their relationship causes the men to recognize their true feelings for each other.  Then the flirting begins...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas In Riverside

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2008 _K/S Advent_

With all the concentration he would use to pilot a starship, James Kirk activated the flitter’s vertical-thrusters, applying careful stabilizer and aileron control to keep it level as he maneuvered it to land with the lightest of touches.

“It is illogical to fly manually when the autopilot is fully functional.”

Kirk ignored his friend’s teasing and grinned. “Welcome to Riverside, Spock.”

Spock looked up at the nearby farmhouse, standing white against a snow white background and framed by an overcast, gray-white sky. Kirk had them beam into Des Moines, rather than nearby Iowa City, so he could see more of the countryside, and presumably appreciate its beauty. Since leaving the city, aside from occasional trees that seemed to grow together in dark, forbidding clumps as if huddling to shelter protectively from the bitter weather, he had seen little but the seemingly endless white of fresh fallen snow. Even the nearby river, which might have created an interesting aspect to this featureless, monotone landscape, was covered in ice. Spock found himself unable to share his captain’s near glee at the weather conditions.

This unscheduled vacation had come about by an unusual act of providence. The _Enterprise_ had found itself in the vicinity of Earth and in need of vital repairs just as the holiday season was commencing, and since the spacedocks closed down for the period, they were forced to extend their stay. With an almost exclusively Human crew, the resultant jubilation had made the last few days of their journey fly past particularly quickly.

Until his aborted marriage earlier that year, Spock had always limited his shoreleave to the occasional day spent with his captain and the doctor. Since then, at his captain’s invitation, he had twice spent several days ashore with him, staying in rented accommodation. When, for a third time, Kirk had invited him to his home for the holidays, refusing to allow him to remain on the ship for the duration, he had capitulated without a fight.

The spacedock would reopen at midnight December 26th and with the time difference between the dock and Iowa, it meant he and Kirk would have to leave by 4pm on Christmas day, giving them two and a half days to enjoy the home-spun festivities.

Kirk twisted to retrieve their jackets from the rear seat. Handing one to Spock, they then bumped arms and hands as they struggled to put them on in the tight confines of the aircar.

“Brace yourself,” Kirk said cheerfully and activated the doors. Although almost completely covered from head to toe, the icy blast that greeted the Vulcan as it caressed his exposed face, caused an involuntary shiver.

Kirk had brought the flitter to rest beside a group of outbuildings at the foot of a small incline, at the top of which stood his family home. It was a typically traditional Iowa design in white faux-wood with a pitched roof of light-gray tiles. Built over two stories, the rectangular house was slightly raised and at the back, had a small extension and greenhouse attached. On the ground floor it was edged along three sides by a tiled porch, broken on the middle section by a small flight of steps that led up to a large teal-colored door.

Grabbing their luggage from the trunk, Spock followed Kirk the fifty or so meters towards the front door. He had walked in snow before, although it was something he assiduously avoided if at all possible, as his desert-bred physiology did not adapt well to very low temperatures. Yet unpleasant as the weather was, he acknowledged there was something oddly satisfying about walking through deep, virgin snow, feeling it compact with an audible crunch beneath his well-insulated boots. Spock stopped for a moment as he noticed the quiet stillness about them.

As if reading his mind, Kirk paused to look at his friend and smiled. “There’s something almost magical about the silence after a fall of snow.”

“Indeed, there is a sense of peace,” Spock acknowledged, his warmer-than-human breath condensing in billowy clouds in the cold.

Spock felt Kirk’s hand on his arm gently steering him. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

It was their stamping on the porch to remove the excess snow from their footwear that first alerted Winona of the arrival of her guests. Not bothering with a coat, she threw the door open wide. “Jimmy!” she said excitedly and flung her arms around her son. In turn he lifted her off her feet and swinging her around, bear-hugged her back.

“Mom, this is my First Officer, Spock,” Kirk said, still grinning after he’d put her down.

Winona Kirk was petite in every sense of the word, no more than 1.5 meters in height and slim. Her silver-gray hair was styled into a short, layered cut which framed her small face, giving her the appearance of someone more youthful than her 71 years. Kirk had inherited her high cheekbones, small nose and wide eyes, although hers were bright blue, in contrast to his hazel.

“Mrs. Kirk,” Spock greeted her.

“Oh, please call me Winona, Spock. It’s good to finally meet you – Jim’s told me a lot about you.”

Spock raised an eyebrow and glanced at his Captain. “Indeed?”

Kirk looked slightly sheepish as he pushed his mom back inside towards the warmth and followed her in.

Closing the door, they stood in an entranceway. To the left there was a large closet and the door to a small restroom and to the right, an entrance to a formal dining room. Boots and coats went into the closet and then they followed Winona ahead into a large family room.

As soon as they entered, they were assaulted by the smell of fresh pine, the source of which was immediately apparent. In a corner of the room stood an elegant spruce over two meters in height in a large, red half-barrel. Every branch seemed to be covered in traditional Christmas decorations and it glistened from top to bottom with the tiny fairy-lights. Beneath the majestic tree stood a small pile of gifts, each one beautifully wrapped in brightly colored paper.

“The Christmas tree looks great, mom!” Kirk said with a huge smile. “How did you manage to get it here?”

Winona smiled, pleased at her son’s reaction. “Your uncle Bob helped me,” she explained. “When I told him you were coming, he invited himself over for the holidays – he’s not seen you in years! He’s gone to Riverside for some shopping, but will be back soon. Now, lets get you settled,” she said and hustled her son towards the stairs.

On the upper floor, three doors led off a passageway. Winona went ahead through the first door. “This is Jim’s old room,” she explained to Spock. Kirk followed her in, but Spock hesitated. “Come in,” she called and the Vulcan stepped inside.

The room was larger than Spock expected and sparsely furnished, with no discernable evidence of Kirk’s childhood occupation. Light from a big window streamed in towards the sizable bed that sat against one wall. On the opposite was a door to an en-suite bathroom and next to it, a large desk. The final wall was lined with built-in closets.

“You’re in here,” she explained.

“Who, me or Spock?” Kirk asked.

“Both of you,” she replied, sounding surprised and looked from one man to the other.

Kirk glanced at Spock who was gazing at the floor. “Spock can go in Sam’s old room,” he said.

“No he can’t – uncle Bob’s in there,” she reminded him. “Jim, I honestly don’t mind you two sleeping together.”

“Mom! There must be an alternative…”

Winona cut in on her son by addressing the Vulcan. “Excuse us a minute, Spock,” she said and gently pushed her son back out into the hall. Smiling and taking her son’s hands in her own, she held his eyes for a moment. “Jim, you don’t have to hide it from me, I’m more broad-minded than you may give me credit for,” she said, wanting to reassure him.

Kirk was genuinely taken aback at his mother’s declaration. “There’s honestly nothing to hide.”

“I thought you were lovers,” Winona said simply.

Kirk sighed. “No mom, we’re not. We’re good friends, but nothing more. I don’t know where you got the idea from. I wouldn’t have thought Vulcans even have same-sex partnerships, anyway – it’s not logical.” In truth he had no idea about Vulcan sexuality. He had only learned of Pon Farr earlier that year.

“Oh my!” Winona studied her son’s face for a moment. “That’s a shame. Well in that case,” she said and pondered for a moment, “if you’re not comfortable sharing, one of you will have to sleep on the floor, or on one of the couches downstairs.”

There was no time now for Kirk to question his mother about her assumptions; that would have to wait. Instead, he focused on the sleeping options – none of the couches would be long enough to stretch out on and he didn’t want to spend the holidays with kinks in back. “Spock can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

The two of them re-entered the room to find Spock gazing raptly out the window at the endless white expanse. His Vulcan hearing had enabled him to eavesdrop on the entire conversation. While Jim was aware of his auditory sensitivity, he would no doubt have assumed that out of propriety, his First Officer would politely tune it out. However, his curiosity had gotten the better of him, particularly as he was one of the subjects under discussion. His mother’s assumption about the nature of their relationship was something he would ponder later – he wondered what Jim might have said or done to lead her to such a conclusion. As for Jim’s decision to sleep on the floor, he considered it illogical when the bed was so large. However, knowing how stubborn his friend could be, he decided to tackle any objections when the time came.

“Spock, you take the bed, I’ll take the floor.”

He knew his captain would be expecting him to protest. “Very well, Jim,” he responded and because he turned away to place his bag on the bed, he failed to see Kirk’s surprised expression.

They unpacked and changed out of their thermal travel clothes – Kirk wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, Spock in black trousers and dark green tunic. They took the gifts they had brought and placed them under the tree.

“I’ve already eaten – have you two had lunch yet?” Winona asked.

“No – we can fix something,” Kirk said and then turned to Spock. “I wouldn’t mind a stir-fry – how about you?”

“That would be acceptable.”

Kirk disappeared through a door at the back of the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with an armful of vegetables. The two men then quietly and efficiently set to work together preparing their meal. They had discovered a mutual enjoyment of cooking when they had taken the first of their shoreleaves together.

Winona sat on one of the couches knitting as she watched her son and his friend. When they had finished eating, they joined her and Kirk caught her up on all his news. Spock was content to listen.

When Kirk’s uncle returned, Spock was taken by surprise by his size. As Winona was petite, so her younger brother was a giant – at least two meters tall and, he estimated, quite possibly that round, too. Like Winona, he had gray hair, although wavy, and the same blue eyes.

On seeing his nephew, he gave Kirk a delighted hug that seemed to almost swallow him and then after being introduced to Spock, offered him a Vulcan salute.

“How do you do that?” Winona asked, trying to get her fingers to spread correctly. Kirk laughed and showed her, but after several attempts, she gave up.

“Bob here was an engineer in the Earth merchant fleet for years,” Winona explained to Spock, “so he’s been to a fair few worlds.”

“Even Vulcan, a time or two,” Bob added. “No disrespect, Mr. Spock, but it was too damn hot for my liking!”

“Bob, just call him Spock,” Kirk said, speaking for his Vulcan friend. “We’re not on duty now.” He chuckled and added, “I don’t suppose you thought much of Vulcan’s night life, either!”

Spock’s lips twitched into that almost smile of his and Kirk grinned back at him. He was pleased to have Spock meet his family like this.

Bob was not as up to date as Winona on his nephew’s exploits and wanted to hear about some of his adventures. Spock noticed how well his captain told stories, sometimes embellishing them a little, and when Jim did, he would indicate with a look or a raised eyebrow that he had noticed, which just made Jim grin. He wondered if it his imagination, or if Jim increased the frequency of the small enhancements just to elicit a reaction. It did not matter really as he was content to indulge his friend.

Kirk offered to help his mother prepare a vegetarian goulash and home-made corn bread, but she would hear none of it, pointing out that he was supposed to be on vacation.

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow, Jim?” Winona asked.

Kirk looked up from his meal. “Not really, did you have something in mind?”

“The Jacksons and the Magnussens said they’d love to see you, and I’d like to spend some time with you.”

Before Kirk could respond, Bob added, “Spock I was wondering if you’d like to take a look around the Kennedy Space Center museum tomorrow. If you’ve not been, I think you’d find it interesting.”

“I have never visited and would welcome the opportunity,” Spock responded. He recognized Winona’s need to spend time alone with her normally absent son and the home of Earth’s longest-running space program was certainly of interest to him.

Kirk smiled at Spock. It might not have been obvious to his mother and uncle from the Vulcan’s polite response, but it was as clear as day to him from Spock’s facial expressions and body language that he was quite excited about the trip. Bob would make a good companion, as he was a contemplative man, not given to idle chatter.

“There are different tours you can do to see the craft up close,” Kirk explained. “You’ll have to take your pick as you probably won’t have time for more than a couple.”

Spock’s eyes betrayed his amusement. “How many times have you visited, Jim?”

“—a few,” Kirk responded with a grin.

“—dozens,” Winona said at the same time.

Spock raised his eyebrow and Winona smiled at the affectionate by-play between the two men. “Just so you know,” she said, “Bob and I are going out tomorrow evening to the Riverside Social Club dinner – we’ll be back around eleven.”

The two _Enterprise_ men cleared the dishes away and then Kirk went to a control panel near the front door where he switched on the exterior lights. He then steered Spock through a door near the base of the stairs and into a formal living room, leaving the light off. Not questioning, Spock silently followed his captain to a large window.

“There’s something soothing about watching snow fall, especially by lamplight,” Kirk explained.

Outside, the pathway was illuminated from the farmhouse down to the outhouses a short distance away where the flitters were parked, all sign of their footsteps made upon arrival now obliterated by heavily falling snow. The falling flakes were caught by the lights, sparkling momentarily in their beams before they added to the carpet of snow that created an expansive vista of monochromatic uniformity.

For Spock, who had rarely experienced this, there was indeed something mesmerizing in watching the snow silently fall, comfortably separated from it by a pane of insulated glass, yet though cocooned, still somehow a part of it. Despite his earlier reservations, he found himself beginning to understand his captain’s appreciation of the beauty of this particular aspect of Terran meteorology.

The two of them, at complete ease with one another, stood shoulder to shoulder, as close as it was possible to get without touching, in silent companionship.

Spock had already become aware of a disquiet in Kirk when he heard the human sigh. “Jim?”

Kirk continued to stare out of the window. “Sorry Spock, it’s nothing.”

Regardless of the words, Spock sensed the tension increase in his friend. In the past, he would have allowed the conversation to end there, not wishing to intrude upon the human’s privacy. Now their friendship was such that he felt emboldened to probe further – had Jim not invited him into this room, away from his family, to share something with him? “Would it assist you to talk?”

Kirk turned to him and Spock looked into eyes that were shadowed, set in a closed face, as if he had withdrawn into his own world where no-one could reach him. After several seconds, he turned back to gaze out of the window.

Just as Spock had thought his captain was going to keep his thoughts to himself, he spoke. “Standing here has reminded me how every winter, with the first fall of snow, Sam and I used to run out into the yard and play in it. We’d build snowmen and compete to see whose was the biggest – he always won. And we’d go ice-skating on the river and sledding at the Winter Gardens in Riverside.” He turned back to the Vulcan. “Coming home for the first time since he died has brought back a lot of memories. I miss him, Spock.”

Kirk’s face displayed open pain as, for once, he allowed himself to let go enough to express his loss. Spock suspected it was the first time since their visit to Deneva. He saw evidence of unshed tears in the too-bright hazel eyes and recognized the degree of trust his friend was demonstrating. In an unprecedented move to offer comfort, he lightly touched his captain’s shoulder. “I grieve with thee.”

Remaining silent but nodding his appreciation, Kirk looked to where Spock’s hand lay and placed his own over it, holding it there for a minute as he turned back towards the window. It was rare for Spock to share that much skin-to-skin physical contact with Kirk beyond the melds they had occasionally shared and he was very conscious of, but at ease with, the feel of the cool hand covering his. It was an intimate moment, as much as either was able to express.

When Kirk eventually took his hand away, they remained side by side, wrapped up in their own private thoughts, unaware that each was thinking of the other and reflecting on the good fortune that had allowed them to serve together, to share their lives together and to have such a unique and special friendship.

They eventually returned to the family room where Winona was knitting and Bob was engrossed in a reader. Sitting on the couch opposite, the fire crackled between them and before long, a combination of the warmth of the room and the comfort of the couches, Kirk began to doze off. As his head nodded, the downward jerk caused him to jump awake.

Winona caught the movement. “Jim dear, you look all-in.”

He glanced at the chronometer on the wall. “My ship operates on Universal Time, which is six hours ahead of Riverside. My body thinks it’s gone 2 a.m.” As if to confirm, he yawned widely.

Within ten minutes the two men had been dispatched upstairs by Winona who insisted they get some rest.

Spock showered first using sonics, exiting the bathroom wearing a long, dark robe, and while Kirk used the facilities, he prepared for bed. Feeling cold, he turned up the thermostat and then pulled back the extra covers he had found. Removing the robe, he donned a pair of lightweight pajama bottoms, climbed in on the right side and pulled the blankets up to his chin.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened with a puff of steam from which Kirk emerged with wet hair, wearing a short robe. He paused for a moment and then, with a look of suspicion, walked over and looked at the thermostat. “It’s a bit hot in here, Spock.”

“It is below the temperature I would prefer, however I located some additional blankets to compensate.”

Kirk opened one of the closets. “Well, what am I supposed to use? You’ve taken all the spares.”

“I believe this bed can easily accommodate us both. The Starfleet issue standard two-man tent, which we have shared on a number of occasions, is 82% of the area of this bed. With regards the ambient temperature, might I suggest you use only the sheet for covering.”

Kirk yawned deeply and realizing he was simply too tired to argue, climbed into the left side of the bed.

At some point in the night, feeling overly warm, Kirk shucked out of the robe. Not long after the sheet, too, had been pushed away, as he lay spread-eagled on the bed in an attempt to cool his overheated body.

When Spock awoke, his time sense told him it was 4:04 a.m. local time. Because the distant thrum of the _Enterprise_ engines had been a part of his life for the past 15 years, when he was not on the ship, the noise was conspicuous by its absence. For a few moments, he contemplated the silence around him, broken only by the sound of his captain’s quiet, even breathing.

During the night the clouds had parted allowing the silvery light of an almost full-moon to reflect off the snow. They had not closed the drapes before retiring, allowing the room to be filled with en eerie luminescence.

He realized he was lying close to the edge of the bed and a glance at Jim told him why, as the human was stretched out beside him. It took a second glance to notice something else. His captain had an erection. He had seen him naked on occasion, but usually fleetingly and never in this state, and found he was unable to take his eyes off the hard cock that he knew had given pleasure to many women.

Recalling the whispered conversation outside the bedroom the previous afternoon, he found himself speculating as to whether Jim had shared himself with any men, although he was unaware of his ever having taken a male partner. He had always believed Jim to be determinedly heterosexual, yet his mother had assumed they were lovers. Surely she would not have drawn that conclusion had she believed Jim’s sexuality to be fixed upon females only.

He reflected on how their friendship had deepened since his divorce and began to consider the possibility that Jim might be interested in more, but because of his assumption regarding Vulcan customs, had made no overtures. Obviously it was a subject that had never been raised.

He could understand why Jim would come to such a conclusion since on the face of it, to a people who prized logic, a partnership that was unable to produce offspring would appear to fly in the face of it. However, those same people were also telepathic, and it was the bond that was of supreme importance. In this, it was the compatibility of the mind that overshadowed all other considerations, including gender.

For the first time in his life, Spock was without a telepathic connection to another. His parental link had been replaced at age seven by his pre-bond joining with T’Pring. When she had broken it earlier that year, he had found it difficult to adapt, at first. Almost all his life there had been that tenuous link, someone there at the back of his mind. Then one day the anchor he had not realized he had was cut, and he was cast adrift and utterly alone.

To ward off that sense of isolation, although at some risk to himself, he had willingly melded a number of times in the line of duty, some of which had been with his captain. From them, he had grown to know the human’s mind and was in no doubt not only how agreeable a permanent telepathic joining with Jim would be, but he had also learned that they shared a high degree of compatibility. If the human’s mind was like a jar of small pebbles, when they melded it was as if his own mind was like sand that just flowed in and around, fitting absolutely snugly.

Spock found himself speculating what a full-time relationship with Jim would be like, first breaking it down into different components. As he contemplated it, one of those thoughts struck him in the way they sometimes do. It was the type that led to a sudden insight, causing his world view to shift. The result was the new vision was so compelling, he felt obliged to take action so that the world he was experiencing matched the one he had just visualized.

The insight was that from the physical perspective, other than the sexual factor, their relationship would be no different to what they already shared. They had a close rapport, an ever deepening friendship and, as this holiday evinced, they spent most of their free time together. As to emotions, what he felt was beyond mere affection for Jim – it was certainly something entirely deeper. Indeed, the thought of Jim not in his life was an alarming one. Was this what humans called love?

As to the sexual component of such a relationship, he looked at the man lying beside him and certainly found Jim most pleasing to they eye. The thought of sharing his body…of making love with Jim, brought on a sensation in his lower belly and groin that he immediately identified as sexual in nature.

He was finding that the greater the consideration he gave it, the greater was the appeal of taking Jim as his bondmate. Winona’s words gave him hope that his friend would be open to such an overture. He would watch Jim closely to see if he showed any indication of interest. Perhaps all it would require was some encouragement on his behalf to demonstrate to Jim that he was open to the idea – the behavior humans refer to as ‘flirting’.

While he had the opportunity, and with these new eyes, he made a close study of Jim’s body. The human’s penis lay flat against his abdomen, thick and long – seventeen centimeters, he calculated automatically, with veins along its length standing out, engorged. The configuration was similar to his own, with the exception of the single rather than a double ridge at the edge of the corona. The skin was a darker, dusky-pink shade, in comparison with Jim’s pale skin and at the base sat his plump balls, nesting in a dark mat of pubic hair.

He wondered whether it would feel the same as his own penis and put his hand under the blankets to touch himself by way of comparison. He discovered himself to be already half hard – not entirely surprising, given the direction his thoughts had been taking. As he ran his hand along the length of his own cock, he could feel it was slightly ridged while the skin on Jim’s looked softer and smoother.

Spock was pulled from his ruminations by a sudden change in Jim’s breathing. Glancing up from his study of this increasingly fascinating part of the human’s anatomy, he found himself looking into a pair of hazel eyes.

“Been awake long?” Kirk asked, casually pulling a sheet up to cover himself.

“Twenty three point four minutes,” Spock replied honestly.

Kirk was silent and Spock sensed embarrassment. “I believe Humans refer to that as a “Morning Glory”, he said solemnly.

Kirk laughed, breaking the tension. “Sorry – it’ll go down after I take a leak.”

Spock could clearly see an opening presenting itself, although this was not going to be quite the superficial introduction to it he would have preferred. “There is no need to apologize. It is a natural condition and humans are not exclusive in experiencing such things.”

With that, he pulled back the blankets and slid out of the bed and, as he headed for the bathroom, made no attempt to hide his own erection tenting the front of his pajamas. Once inside, he willed it down before using the facilities.

Kirk lay in bed, stunned, his world tilting slightly crazily. Sharing a bed with Spock due to a shortage of other available beds was one thing. Finding himself naked was kind of bizarre – how had he managed to forget to put briefs on after his shower, before he got into bed? And when had he lost his robe? And how come Spock was not wearing any briefs beneath the flimsy pajama pants? But it was waking up to find Spock staring at his cock like he wanted to eat it and then almost proudly showing off his own erection – now that was…surreal.

The thought that at that very moment, Spock might be taking care of his hard-on, made his cock twitch and fully harden.

His own sexual interest in Spock was nothing new. He had been quietly lusting after his First Officer for some time and had begun to fantasize about him, although it had stayed purely in his head for lots of reasons. Yet now he came to think about it, none of the reasons were particularly good ones and the biggest one, his assumption about Vulcan sexuality, judging by Spock’s rapt ogling of his privates, looked like it had just been blown out of the water.

This looked very much like Spock’s way of indicating an interest in taking things further. He had never seen the Vulcan behave in this way before and he had had enough experience to recognize a come-on when he saw it.

Spock’s friendship was by far his closest, and they spent a lot of their off-duty time together to the point where even his mom had assumed there was something more. When he looked at it that way, it was not really that great a step to take it to another level – to the sexual. He certainly had no qualms about the intimate aspect, given the content of his fantasies and the strength of the orgasms they often produced. Spock was one of the sexiest people he had ever met.

He knew, though, that Spock was not looking just for sex. His status was now single and, at some point before his next Pon Farr, he would need to find a bondmate. The thought of someone being that special person for Spock, who could potentially take the Vulcan away from him, did not sit well.

The question he had to ask himself was did he want to take that special place in Spock’s life as a lifetime commitment and, just as important, would Spock be the right person for him? It was a big question, as he had never really analyzed what exactly it was he felt for Spock. Despite his reputation for decisiveness, this was not something he would rush into without proper consideration.

Kirk was pulled from his thoughts by Spock reappearing and judging by the front of his pajamas, apparently no longer aroused. With a carefully nonchalant expression, he jumped out of bed, erection and all, and disappeared into the bathroom.

With the door shut behind him, he allowed a smile having noticed that Spock had openly stared at his still-hard cock. He needed to do something with it and taking himself in hand, he fantasized being able to see in the mirror a spectral Spock standing behind him, holding his sexy, large jade tower, bringing himself off as he watched his captain do the same. This fantasy brought him one of the best orgasms he had had in a long time.

Although Kirk had made no firm decision, instinct told him to play the game and move things along. So when he came, he made sure little gasps and grunts would be picked up by those keen Vulcan ears – he wanted Spock to be left in no doubt what he was up to.

Cleaning himself up, he returned to the bed. Spock was lying on the edge, on his side facing away from him. He knew the Vulcan was not asleep. He climbed in, lay on his back and pulling the sheet over himself, glanced at the chronometer. It wasn’t yet 5 a.m. – and as it was midwinter, the sun would not rise for another two or more hours. He yawned – that orgasm had taken it out of him. Even though it was close to 11 a.m. on the ship, he was able to fall asleep.

Spock continued to lie on his side as he listened to Kirk’s breathing deepening, signifying sleep. He knew exactly what the human had been doing in the bathroom and was regretting he had not taken the opportunity to do something similar when he had used the facilities earlier. Now he lay with an aching hardness. He had no means to subdue it other than by sheer force of will which was, of course, a straightforward procedure for Vulcans. However, the first step requires the emptying of the mind, and therein lay the problem. Now that Spock had tasted of the apple, so to speak, he simply could not get Jim out his mind, and since this new concept of viewing him as a prospective bondmate had been introduced into his consciousness, he was unable to banish it. It was, he thought wryly, like being told not to think of a camel’s left knee: once the image was in the mind, it was almost impossible to dispel.

~*~

Before the sun had risen on this Christmas Eve morning, Kirk awoke and took a shower. When he returned, eschewing the towel about the waist that he would normally use for modesty’s sake – more to spare Spock’s blushes than his own – he deliberately remained naked and felt Spock’s eyes on him as he rummaged around for something to wear, taking his time to do so. He felt the bed move and watched as the Vulcan headed into the bathroom, enjoying the way the small, muscular buttocks rippled under the thin material as he walked.

They could not stay like this all day, so Kirk pulled on a pair of jeans and a dark gray cashmere sweater. After making the bed and turning down the thermostat, he lay back on it to think through an idea for something they could do later that day. The undraped window showed a clear blue sky – perfect weather for what he had in mind. Hopefully it would stay that way.

Spock came out of the bathroom naked, holding his pajama pants in his hand and Kirk openly watched him take his time choosing the day’s attire and finally getting dressed in black pants, a black tee and a thick blue turtleneck sweater. This much nudity with each other was most certainly a first and he found it interesting that there was no awkwardness between them in this new expression of intimacy. It was testament to how comfortable they were around each other and how natural it seemed to feel.

“Have you ever been horse riding, Spock?”

“Negative, nor would I be proficient enough to attempt it now,” he warned.

Kirk grinned. “You’d be ok if you went tandem. I was thinking we could go when you and Bob get back from Cape Canaveral. You’ll love it!”

Spock folded his arms and leaned against a closet door to consider this a moment. “Would not the weight of two grown men be too great for one horse?”

Kirk’s smile broadened. “Not for Uncle Bob’s horse. Wait till you see him.” Kirk was feeling very pleased with himself, especially as Spock had not outright dismissed the idea.

When they opened the door to go downstairs, the smell of cooking greeted them. Bob was sat on the couch reading a datastream of the latest news on a small padd while Winona busied herself nearby in the kitchen.

“Bob, would you mind if we borrow Goliath later on?” Kirk asked. “It would mean you getting back here by mid-afternoon.”

“Sure son, we can do that – go right ahead,” he responded, then looked at Spock. “You ever ridden a horse before?”

“No. It will be the first time.”

Kirk picked up Spock’s slight unease and began to feel a little guilty, but not so much that he would scotch the idea.

“Goliath’s very docile – and Jim’s a good horseman – he’ll know how to handle him,” Bob reassured. “Do you know much about horses?”

“I am a scientist and know little beyond the classification of the Equus caballus as an ungulated mammal of the Equidae family. There is a species on Vulcan not dissimilar which was used in ancient times as a beast of burden and is now bred for export. I grew up in a city and rarely saw one, however.”

“You’ll love it!” Kirk said. “We’ll just need to make sure you wrap up warm.”

In a pragmatic move, they had packed their Starfleet subzero thermalite weather gear as it was the most highly insulated material known and the lightweight fabric version was the best you could buy. Given this, Kirk was not worried about Spock getting hypothermia.

Immediately after breakfast, they returned to the bedroom to prepare to go out. Kirk sat on the bed as Spock changed to layers that would accommodate both brief exposure to the Iowa winter as well as the warm air of Cape Canaveral. He regretted not being able to go with Spock on his excursion, but knew that his uncle would make a good companion.

The sun had barely lifted above the horizon when Spock and Bob took off in his uncle’s flitter to Iowa City, less than 20 km north of Riverside, and from there took the public transporter to their destination.

Kirk and his mother left shortly after to visit various old friends and neighbors. They returned for a late lunch and got out the holoviewer. As they went through the family album, he hugged his mom as she cried at the memory of Sam and the first Christmas without him in their world.

Later, as Winona was making coffee, he asked, “Mom, I’m curious what made you think Spock and I are lovers.”

She smiled wryly at him. “After my faux pas yesterday, I wondered when you’d get around to asking me that. Rather than tell you, I’ll show you. Here, take this,” she said, handing him a cup of steaming coffee.

On the couch, Winona reactivated the holoviewer. “I’ve saved every holovid you’ve sent me over the years, Jim. Let me show you the last few of some of your shoreleaves.”

She played one back and it was of him, McCoy and Spock on Wrigleys – one of his favorite R&R destinations. “Look at you and Spock…” she said, “you two can’t take your eyes off each other. Wherever one goes, the other follows either with their eyes or physically…”

Kirk watched clip after clip and wondered how he had never noticed it.

“See what I mean?” she asked.

“Yes. Yes I do,” he responded quietly.

So, this was not something that had happened overnight, then. They had been dancing together since… he almost shook his head at the thought… since the day he had come aboard. Now that he thought about it, the rumors and gossip about him and Spock had been going just as long. He recalled the words Edith Keeler had said, that Spock belonged at his side, as if he always had been there and always will be. And now…his mom seemed to be agreeing. Maybe everyone else could see it and it was just the two of them who had been blind to their feelings.

His sexual attraction was not in question, but he considered now what it was he felt for Spock. He thought about the times they had shared together on two previous shoreleaves as well as this current one, and how much he enjoyed spending time alone with his friend.

Last night Spock, who assiduously avoided touch, had reached out to him and offered comfort in his grief, and in that simple gesture, he had felt his heart swell and the pain recede. That was when it hit him right in the solar plexus. What he felt wasn’t affection or infatuation, this was love.

Winona broke in on his thoughts. “When you wrote to tell me about the annulment of Spock’s marriage, and how you’d gone against orders to get him to Vulcan, that didn’t sound simply like the action of commanding officer helping a colleague. From the vids and your mail – and I have to say, everything I’ve seen since you’ve been here – all tell me you’re in love with Spock.”

“What do you mean, ‘since we’ve been here’?” he asked.

“The constant touching, the looks you give each other, the teasing, the affectionate smiles…” She stuck to the main cues – there were many more subtle ones too. She went on, “Yesterday when you made lunch, the two of you were perfectly in synch, as if you’ve been doing it for years. Jim, you’ve never been a slow one, so I felt sure you’d made your move by now.”

Kirk shook his head, still finding it a lot to take in and smiled wryly. “I probably would have done if I’d figured it out.”

He stared at the half-drunk mug of coffee in his hands, thinking about the change that was just starting to take place between them, that looked as though it were leading them to where she had thought they already were. He did not feel comfortable telling his mother about it as it was too personal, too private. So he remained silent.

He loved Spock. He considered the words and what they meant, and saw how perfectly they fit. In the light of this new understanding, the thought of a lifetime commitment felt so right he was amazed he had not considered it before now. He wanted Spock in every way – as a lover and as a bondmate. The notion of having this special man in his life was something that did not just hold great appeal, he honestly could not imagine a life without Spock at his side – the very thought made his chest constrict.

~*~

Just after 3pm, Spock and Bob returned and he found himself looking at the Vulcan with new eyes. I love you, he said to himself. I want to make love with you. The thought made his cock jump with interest.

“How was it?” he asked Spock.

“Warm,” the Vulcan responded succinctly and to chuckles from everyone, headed upstairs to change. Kirk gave his mom a wink and followed him up to get changed for the horse ride, and also unabashedly to watch Spock change.

When they got to the room, Kirk felt a twinge of guilt about the up-coming excursion. “I feel as if I didn’t give you much choice about the ride this morning – are you sure you don’t mind going?”

“Had I not wished to participate, I would have said so Jim,” Spock reassured his friend. “Where do you keep your horses?”

“We used to have stables here,” Kirk explained, “but it got too much for mom on her own – she just didn’t have the energy to do it all. So we now stable them on my cousin’s farm about five kilometers from here.” Kirk glanced out of the window, glad the blue sky had remained, although it meant the temperatures were likely to be well below freezing.

Since Spock wished to wear ankle to neck thermal underwear, it necessitated a strip and Kirk did not bother hiding his admiration of the Vulcan’s body.

Kirk donned a heavier sweater and both pulled on their thermalite jumpsuits over their clothes. The material was so light, it hardly felt as though they were wearing it. Downstairs, they dug into the closet by the front door and pulled their hooded jackets, scarves, gloves and boots.

Although only a short distance, with a heavy fall of snow the previous evening, Kirk decided on the flitter rather than a groundcar.

Outside, Spock paused on the porch and took in the expansive view. Unlike the day before, there was now a sharp contrast between the snow-laden ground and the azure sky. He found himself captivated by the stillness and silent beauty of the landscape. The sun, well past its zenith, gave off a warm light and caused the blanket of snow to glisten in untouched and untainted purity.

His appreciation of the vista was rudely interrupted by a snowball hitting him squarely on the chest. The second missed him as with quick reflexes he turned to one side.

Kirk, realizing he should carry out a tactical retreat while he was ahead, ran down towards the flitter and jumped in before Spock had a chance to retaliate. As soon as the Vulcan was in, he piloted it up to an altitude of 150 meters to cover the short distance to the stables.

Goliath was the largest horse Spock had ever seen, standing 188 centimeters to his shoulder. The Clydesdale was chestnut in color with contrasting white feet and nose and an almost black mane and tail. Kirk saddled him, attaching an extra set of stirrups for Spock. They needed a ladder to mount him, and Bob’s huge saddle easily accommodated them both as Spock fitted snuggly behind his captain.

As Jim steered Goliath out of the stable, Spock attempted to hold on to the back of the saddle for support. However, as the horse began to walk, he found it difficult to keep upright.

“Put your arms around me,” Kirk suggested. “It’ll feel more stable and it’ll help keep both of us warm.” As the Vulcan complied, Kirk smiled happily to himself.

Keeping the horse to a walk, Kirk took them off exploring the area. Spock shared his impressions of the Space Center and then he listened as Kirk told stories of some of his childhood antics that had taken place in the vicinity.

Spock was surprised at how agreeable the ride was and being able to sit with his arms around Jim was most pleasant, he decided. They had been riding for ten minutes when they came to a small incline.

“I don’t want you sliding off the back of the saddle,” Kirk said, “so you’ll need to hang on a little tighter.”

Up to this point, Spock had lightly rested his feet in the stirrups, and now tightened his thighs for extra grip. However, because of their relative seating positions, the only thing he could grip were Kirk’s thighs. Given the overall flatness of the terrain, it was surprising how frequently Kirk seemed to find hills to navigate and Spock dutifully hung on tightly each time.

With the necessarily closeness of their bodies and the direction of Spock’s thoughts, it was perhaps an inevitability that he found his body responding to the stimulus of having his groin pushed up against Kirk’s ass. Although he could see the potential of it as another opportunity to demonstrate his new interest in his captain, he decided that perhaps it was a little too fast to be taking things at this stage.

Instead when it happened, he tried subtly to move away from Kirk, but the angle of the saddle simply pushed him back each time the horse took a step.

Kirk spoke after his third failed attempt. “Spock, it’s ok. With the movement of the horse, it’s quite normal for that to happen.”

Spock froze, realizing it was perhaps too much to ask that a man of Kirk’s experience and worldliness would fail to notice.

“I’ve got it too,” Kirk added cheerfully, and grabbing one of Spock’s hands from where it was clasped about him, pushed it into his crotch. “See?”

Spock could not see, but through his lightweight thermal gloves he could certainly feel, and having gazed at it for long minutes that morning, he knew exactly what the object under his palm looked like. It took him a while to realize that Kirk was no longer holding his hand there and reluctantly moved it back to its original location. This was not helping him quell his own erection. Jim was being very…open, he noticed.

Meanwhile, unseen by Spock, Kirk’s smile widened. Bingo.

Back at the stable, Spock helped Kirk remove all the gear and brush Goliath down. A stable hand helped Kirk clean his hooves of built-up ice and then throwing a blanket over him, led the huge horse out to a nearby pasture to join several others.

The five minute journey back to Kirk’s home was accomplished in a comfortable silence. He had wanted to ask Spock if he’d enjoyed the ride, but was concerned that such a question, given they had both been aroused for most of it, might cause embarrassment.

As Kirk ascended the steps to the front door of the farmhouse, he was hit squarely in the back of his head by a snowball. When he turned around, trying to keep a straight face, he found Spock standing a few meters away, hands clasped behind his back, with a ‘who me?’ expression on his face. As it morphed into one of clear amusement, Kirk began to laugh.

Never one to allow another to have the upper hand, Kirk went back down the steps to the yard. “You realize you’ve just declared war, don’t you?” he said with a grin.

“I had assumed as much,” Spock returned, his lips quirking into a small smile and from behind his back produced another snowball which hit Kirk on the chest.

A ferocious snowball battle ensued. When Jim attempted to put snow down Spock’s back under his clothes, the two men ended up rolling around on the ground as the Vulcan retaliated in kind, with Kirk laughing loudly. Both of them knew that Spock could have easily dominated the game. However, despite a number of successes, the Vulcan had no intention of denying himself the opportunity of having Kirk sit on him and attempt to even the score, so he carefully held his superior strength in abeyance.

It was dusk, with the only illumination coming from the porch light, when Kirk found himself sitting astride Spock, attempting to pull open the front fastener to the Vulcan’s thermal top when he became aware that the tips of Spock’s ears – he had lost his cap sometime earlier – as well as his nose, were green with cold.

He was also able to feel his friend’s erection against his ass and resisted the urge to wriggle. He had sported one himself for some time and given some of the positions they had adopted, he was certain Spock would have noticed. Sitting upright so that he pressed himself down onto Spock’s groin, he felt the hardness even more intently and grinned. “Shall we call it quits, Mr. Spock?”

“While you are ahead, Captain?” his First Officer replied, a look of affection clear on his face.

Kirk laughed and headed towards the house, a warm feeling of love for his Vulcan friend permeating him. Upstairs, they stripped out of their wet clothes and each took a hot shower. Kirk found himself wishing he could get the nerve to join Spock under the water, but they weren’t quite there yet. A little patience and they would be, of that he was now in no doubt.

Donning loose comfortable clothing, they headed downstairs to find that Winona had cooked them mixed vegetable stroganoff and rice. The two men set the table as she dished it up.

“Did you enjoy the horse ride, Spock?” she asked.

“It was…” he glanced at Kirk and caught his eye, “…educational.”

Kirk grinned back and noticing the by-play between the two men, Winona smiled to herself.

Kirk knew exactly what the Vulcan was actually referring to, but said, “Spock got to hear stories of me growing up around here.”

“No doubt somewhat embellished,” Spock observed dryly.

Kirk laughed. “Maybe a bit,” he conceded.

The two men were partway through their meal when Winona and Bob prepared to go out. She approached them just before they left. “Bob and I have decided to go straight from the Social Club dinner to chapel for midnight mass, so we won’t be back until around one.”

“Have a good time,” Kirk responded, “and we’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Once on their own, they finished their meal in companionable silence, each frequently catching the other’s eye and glancing shyly away. There had been a big shift between them – a growing sexual tension and a new awareness of the other.

After the meal, as Spock cleared the plates away, Kirk added logs to the fire and then looked around for something else to do, realizing he had a lot of excess energy.

“Would you like to see my mom’s hydroponic garden? There’s a door directly into it from the back of the kitchen.” Kirk led the way out to a warm glasshouse that was three meters wide and ten meters long. Rows of shelves along both sides and down the middle housed neatly labeled containers filled with perlite to support the roots of the vegetables, herbs, flowers and other flora from Earth and other planets. “A lot of what we’ve eaten since we’ve been here, she’s grown.”

Kirk leaned against the door frame with his arms folded, contentedly observing as Spock walked around reading the labels and occasionally stopping to examine a plant more closely. Spock’s constant curiosity was one of the things he loved about the Vulcan. Where most people seem to become jaded as they grow into adulthood, his first officer appeared never to have lost his almost childlike fascination with the worlds around him and he, in turn, enjoyed watching Spock explore them.

Having had it brought to his conscious attention by his mom, he realized how often he watched Spock, even sometimes beaming down with scientific landing parties where there was nothing much for him to do. On those occasions, he would only stay for a brief time, not wanting to get in the way. Although he was always aware of the general purpose of the mission, once there, Spock never failed to explain or show him in more detail what they were intending to achieve. And then he would watch Spock work. Until now he had kidded himself that he went because he wanted to learn more, but now he thought about it, he only did it if Spock was part of the landing party.

Kirk was pulled out of his rumination when he saw Spock reflexively pull back from something. He was immediately alert and at his first officer’s side. “Are you all right?” he asked and then glanced at the offending plant. “Mom grows those nettles for tea.” Kirk had long ago learned that plants which may be innocuous to one species could be deadly to another. “Do you know of any adverse effect they have on Vulcans?”

“None that I am aware of.”

Kirk took hold of Spock’s hand and glanced at the small green bumps that were appearing on the tips of two of his fingers.

“I understand that saliva contains certain properties that act as an effective antidote to a nettle sting,” Spock said and took the wounded digits into his mouth as Kirk led the way back into the house.

In Humans, a nettle sting was an irritation, but Kirk had no idea how it affected Vulcans. Accepting there was no danger, the fact was that Spock, who was always so controlled, had reacted quite strongly and for all he knew, could be in pain. If he were, he knew Spock was unlikely to say anything. Kirk wished Bones was here and was ashamed to realize it was the first time since their arrival that he had even thought of the doctor. He knew it was unthinkable that he could have gone on shoreleave just with Bones and not thought – constantly – about his Vulcan friend.

They had been sitting in silence on the couch for several minutes when concern caused Kirk’s patience to run out. “Is it working?”

Spock removed the fingers and examined them. “Negative, the irritation persists. It is entirely possible that as it is an Earth plant, my Vulcan saliva is devoid of the correct chemical composition to render a satisfactory result.”

“Maybe it only works with Human saliva,” Kirk suggested. Not giving Spock a chance to protest, he seized the Vulcan’s hand and took the affected fingers into his mouth. He ran his tongue over the tiny welts he could feel. And sucked a little too.

A tremor ran through Spock.

Kirk was thoroughly enjoying this contact and took full advantage with some deft tongue-work around the fingers. Spock squirmed, but when he began to gasp, shudders wracking his body, Kirk became alarmed and immediately stopped. The reaction was far in excess of anything his actions should have elicited and feeling guilty at his earlier enjoyment, feared his friend was in considerable pain. “Does it hurt, Spock?” he asked anxiously.

Spock was breathing heavily and looked bewilderedly at his fingers as if seeing them for the first time. Then he looked at Kirk, but it took him some time to gather himself enough to be able to speak. “No,” he said, finally. “Your strategy was successful and the irritation has subsided. However, the degree of my physiological reaction to your oral ministrations was somewhat unanticipated,” he explained and offered his fingers back to his captain. “Please proceed.”

Relief flooded Kirk, who did not need to be told twice. Taking the two fingers back into his mouth, he swirled his tongue over them, nibbled at them, sucked at them and watched enthralled as Spock fought to control the clearly intense effect that was assailing his body. He had no idea Vulcan fingers were an erogenous zone, a thought which fueled a growing arousal.

Kirk wondered if he should take the next step. He noticed Spock’s erection had returned and he had clearly given him permission to take him this far. They had, in effect, stepped over the line that they had been dancing around all day. He removed the fingers from his mouth and the noise Spock made in reaction sounded suspiciously like a whimper.

Perhaps it was because things had happened so quickly and Kirk had not yet adjusted that he found it a strange experience seeing his First Officer gazing at him with such open need on his face. Before he could do anything, Spock pre-empted him and leaned forward to kiss him. Never having been that close to the Vulcan’s face before, the odd feeling increased. Spock closed his eyes just before contact, surrendering to him, and the moment their mouths pressed and opened to each other, Kirk knew with absolute certainty that this was right, that it felt as natural to him as breathing.

Sliding his tongue into Spock’s mouth, the exploratory response he got sent a throb of excitement to his cock, making him fully hard. The kiss was intoxicating, inflaming him, and it took all his self-control to end it, regretfully pulling away and kissing Spock lightly on the forehead. As a teenager, he had once had the mortifying experiencing of being caught naked with a girlfriend by his mother. The possibility of interruption now was preventing him continuing, especially as he was all too aware of Spock’s need for privacy.

“Before we take this any further, do you want to stay here or go to the bedroom?” he asked the Vulcan.

“No-one is expected here until after midnight, in three point four hours,” he pointed out.

Kirk was not taking any chances. “Let me do a couple of things first.” He went to the control panel near the front door and set an alarm to alert them if anyone came within a five hundred meter radius of the house and then switched off the family room lights, leaving the fire and the Christmas tree fairy lights as the only illumination.

Turning back to face the fire, he saw Spock sitting cross-legged on the hearth rug, waiting. Clearly he had recognized the limitations the couch could present given what was likely to happen next.

It was not something he had had time to give any thought to, but he was enjoying the fact that Spock was clearly comfortable taking the initiative in this, rather than following his lead.

“Lie on your back,” Kirk asked and Spock immediately responded. The flickering firelight danced about the prone Vulcan’s body.

“Beautiful,” Kirk whispered quietly, holding Spock’s eyes. His breath caught in his throat as the corners of Spock’s mouth turned upward in a small, welcoming smile.

He stretched out beside his friend and propped himself up on one elbow, feeling the heat of the Vulcan before him and the fire at his back. He leaned down to once again kiss Spock’s succulent lips, their tongues gently intertwining. He explored the lush, hot moistness of Spock’s mouth, his tongue sliding in and around, and then, with a thrill, felt the actions reciprocated in his own mouth. He found himself wanting to build the passion slowly and make this first time last. Spock’s hand moved to play in his hair and he reveled in the tenderness of the caress.

Kirk slid a hand under Spock’s sweater, stroking hot, bare skin, sliding over the ripple of hard muscles. His fingertips moved through the bountiful chest hair, searching for a nipple and when he grazed it, Spock gasped into his mouth. He took the nub between index finger and thumb and rolled it, sending a tremor through Spock as it peaked to a delectable hardness. His own body throbbed in sympathy.

“Let’s get this off you,” he said, indicating Spock’s sweater, and the Vulcan sat up to facilitate its removal. He pulled it up partway over Spock’s head and then took advantage by bending forward to take a nipple into his mouth, flicking the small nub back and forth, feeling Spock shudder at the wet caress.

“Jim, you torment me,” he admonished hoarsely from within the folds of the garment.

Kirk smiled and relenting, pulled it off and allowed Spock to reciprocate with his own. He pushed the Vulcan back onto the rug and then lay along the lithe body, their bare chests pressed together. As they shared blissfully deep kisses, he felt Spock’s cock pressing hard and urgent against him. The thought that he was able to elicit such a response drove his avid desire as he undulated against the hard, compact body.

Too much more of this, he thought wryly, and he would come in his pants. “Spock, let’s lose the rest of our clothes – I don’t think I can last much longer.”

“I fear I am in a similar condition,” the Vulcan confessed.

The words inflamed him, making his cock throb. Less than a minute later, they were standing naked, both taking time to allow their bodies to calm down while they enjoyed the sight of the other in the warm light.

Kirk’s engorged cock reached out towards Spock and he watched as the Vulcan extended his hand and gently ran his fingers from its base to tip, and then take hold of him in his fist.

“I desired to do this last night,” Spock admitted.

Kneeling, the Vulcan took him into his mouth. The suddenness of the assault and the sensation of the hot wet mouth engulfing his cock caused a shockwave to reverberate through his body. With his legs threatening to give way, he clutched Spock’s shoulders for balance and groaned loudly. He had to close his eyes, as he knew the sight of his First Officer caressing him so intimately would be certain to send him over the edge. Even the thought of it threatened the last vestige of his control.

“Spock…that…feels…incredible,” he whispered hoarsely between gasps, losing himself with each suck as his body shuddered reflexively with exquisite pleasure.

The Vulcan’s tongue and mouth were doing spine-tingling things to him and he fought the encroaching ecstasy with everything he had. But this was too new and too exciting for him to have any degree of control. Recognizing the futility and not wishing to surrender to it yet, he gently pushed on Spock’s shoulders and looked down. “If you don’t stop now, I’m going to come.”

Spock looked up at him with both amusement and affection. “Is that not the purpose of this endeavor?”

Kirk breathed deeply in an attempt to dampen the fire a little and grinning, he mussed Spock’s hair. “Ideally not in the first five minutes of foreplay.”

With an economy of motion, Spock stood up. “You are in error. We have been engaged in sexual activity for twenty two point…”

Kirk cut Spock’s teasing off by bringing them together in a passionate kiss, eliciting an eager response. Their stiff cocks were trapped between them and Kirk cupped the Vulcan’s taut ass in both hands to bring him closer, increasing the wonderfully sensual friction that teased him closer to the point of no return. He knew he would not last much longer.

"Spock,” he panted. “We have a choice: we can do it standing or we can do it lying down, we just have to do it soon."

Spock sat down pulling Kirk with him, and then they stretched out beside the crackling fire, exploring each others bodies with tender kisses and caresses. Kirk found himself intrigued by the Vulcan’s cock, running his lips up its rippled length to take the head into his mouth. As he did so, he felt Spock’s breath stop and when he began to suck and lick, Spock made the most exquisite sounds he'd ever heard.

There was something incredibly erotic about being invited to touch Spock so intimately when he normally assiduously avoided all bodily contact with others, and there was something utterly seductive watching him abandon his control so wholeheartedly.

They seemed naturally to find a position which allowed them to mutually explore each other orally. The sensations Spock had been creating with his mouth had been good, but when the Vulcan slipped a finger into Kirk, it was nearly his undoing and he found it almost impossible to continue pleasuring his partner. He had never been a selfish lover, and found a way to focus between what Spock was doing and what he wanted to do in return.

They stroked and sucked each other to a primal beat, utterly in tune, and when they came, they did it together, abandoning themselves to pleasure as their bodies were convulsed by a chain of explosions that sent them soaring to join in a new world they had never been.

Weakly, Kirk maneuvered himself to lie in Spock’s arms as they both fought to bring their breathing under control. When they had calmed down, their heads moved together, noses bumping, as they shared small kisses and the taste of each other, reveling in the contented glow of the aftermath.

For Kirk, the sex had been hot, and Spock’s responses had gone beyond anything he could have imagined. But most of all, what had left him feeling humbled had been the reverent looks and touches the Vulcan had bestowed upon him which had told him that he was loved and cherished as loudly as if Spock had shouted it from the rooftop. Kirk felt in no doubt that they had taken the right step.

After a time of lying in one position, Kirk became more aware of the hardness of the rug-covered floor. “Let’s go to bed,” he suggested. Canceling the alarm alert on the control, he followed Spock upstairs.

~*~

Once in their room, Kirk suggested they shower together. Until this point in Spock’s life, a shower had been a purely functional activity, the aim of which was to cleanse oneself. His preferred mode to achieve this was sonics, as it was not only what he had grown up with, but it was far more efficient. Water did have its benefits, as earlier when he had used it as a mechanism to heat his chilled body. However, as a means of cleansing, not only was it rarely as thorough as sonics, but the use of it required the employment of various types of toiletries and necessitated an extra period of time to be set aside in order to dry body and hair.

Spock knew Kirk would want to use water and he automatically considered the pros and cons. In addition to the reasons he generally eschewed water there was going to be the lack of space, although this would be balanced out by the fact that it would require them to stand close together, a state of affairs to which he held no objection.

The shower turned out to be a revelation for the logical Vulcan. Before it, he would have had difficulty believing how erotic kissing under hot cascading water, sliding soap-sudded bodies together, or having someone else lovingly wash intimate parts of you, could be. When it came to showers, Jim was inventive, he acknowledged, and by the time they had finished, they were both fully aroused and ready to make love again.

Once in bed, they took time to explore each others bodies with hands and mouths, reveling in the masculinity of each other, the hard contours of bone, muscle and sinew, lithe, powerful and strong, the rigid flesh of their cocks standing proud between them.

Spock lay between Kirk’s legs, halfway up his torso, lavishing attention on the human’s nipples. He tormented them with his tongue until they were wet, stiff and sensitive, eliciting gasps as he sucked and gently bit the taut nubs.

When he moved back up to reach Kirk’s mouth for another intoxicating kiss, his cock nudged the human’s ass and for a moment he stilled.

Spock desired to plunge deep and lose himself in the beautiful body and his penis ached with the thought, but he hesitated to give voice to his need. Although he was aware of the cultural differences between Vulcans and Humans in that the latter had a far more casual attitude towards sex, it was nevertheless a deeply intimate act and he had no idea if Jim was ready for such a step.

“Do you want to fuck me?” Kirk whispered, as if reading his mind and releasing him from the dilemma of whether or not to express his thoughts aloud.

“Yes. I want all of you," the Vulcan confessed in a deep voice he barely recognized as his own.

Kirk shivered at Spock’s tone. “Then it’s handy I remembered this,” he said and brought a tube out from under his pillow.

“If you are sure, Jim.”

Kirk reached up and put his hands either side of Spock’s face and looked deeply into his eyes. “I want to feel you slide into me until you fill me; I want you to fuck me, driving your cock home with such an intensity that I cry out in passion; I want you to come deep inside me and brand me as yours. Will you do that for me, Spock?”

The words inflamed Spock and he kissed Kirk fervently, his tongue plundering the human’s mouth with an almost savage need, as if foreshadowing what he would soon be doing to his lover’s body. Just as with their emotions, Vulcan passion, when aroused, was intense.

Spock sat up and took the tube of gel from Kirk and watched as the human readied himself, placing a pillow beneath his lower back, before pulling his legs back in preparation, the sight igniting him further.

After carefully preparing Kirk, he centered himself, holding his desire in check for fear of injuring his precious human. He pushed forward, feeling the tight muscle giving until the tip of his cock was tightly sheathed. Kirk gasped, his breath catching in his throat as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Spock stilled himself, waiting for his lover’s body to grow accustomed to him.

When Jim nodded, he began gently to push in further. This time aided by the slick gel, he embedded himself in one long, slow plunge between the stretching walls of the human’s body. He went slowly at first, feeling Jim lifting his hips upwards to meet him. Their bodies moved together in total harmony and Spock was rocked to his very soul at the intensity of the uncontrolled feelings that swept through him.

He looked deeply into Kirk’s eyes, searching for signs of discomfort, but saw only leaping arcs of desire. Leaning forward he captured the human’s mouth in a fiery kiss, and felt Kirk stabbing his mouth in rhythm with his thrusts, his nails raking his back. They held on to each other as if everything they were sharing, their newfound intimacy, would vanish if they let go.

With a pulsating, primal need he fucked, hard and satisfyingly, into the heated core of the human – his human – each thrust punctuated by breathless, urgent gasps. Though it seemed impossible, he delved deeper with each rhythmic push. He felt Kirk move to take himself into his hand, mirroring the thrusts into his body.

Every movement into Kirk was pulling at the Vulcan, dragging him closer and giving him a breathtaking hint of the mindless bliss that seemed to grow with each second. Then crying out as one, they soared over the edge, Spock’s pulsing manhood seized by the great shuddering, clenching spasms of Kirk’s orgasm, squeezing and milking him as he exploded his hot seed into his lover with untamed joy.

~*~

It was still a long time to dawn, the room once again filled with the pale reflected moonlight, when Kirk woke to find himself being watched. But unlike the previous night, Spock’s expression was one of love rather than lust. He turned onto his side to face the Vulcan and entwined a hand with his own.

“Been awake long?”

“I was unable to sleep,” Spock replied, honestly. He had contented himself to lie and watch his lover in repose.

“Are you keeping an eye on my Morning Glory,” he asked with a grin.

“Perhaps,” Spock replied, returning a small smile.

“When I was a kid,” Kirk recalled, “I was so excited on Christmas Day, I always used to wake before dawn and then wait with anticipation until the rest of the family were up. Are you looking forward to unwrapping your presents, Spock?”

The Vulcan’s lips twitched into a small smile. “I believe I already did.”

He leaned forward and kissed Spock tenderly, feeling the Vulcan’s enthusiastic response and reveling again in this new turn in their relationship that allowed them such intimacy. “I’ve got something for you,” he said when he finally came up for air. Dialing up the light, he rummaged around in his luggage, and bringing out a small gift, he handed it to Spock.

In the time it had taken Kirk to locate the present, Spock had also retrieved one from somewhere and surprised the human by handing him a small box. Kirk grinned at the coincidence that in addition to the things they had left each other under the tree, they had each bought an extra gift that was personal and not meant to be shared with others.

Getting comfortable, Kirk pushed the pillows against the headboard and sat side by side with Spock. “Want me to open my first?” he asked. He loved getting gifts and was intrigued by the small box.

At Spock’s nod, he opened the lid and pulled out what looked at first sight to be a clear block of glass, ten centimeters square and three thick. Holding it up to the light, he could just make out a speck of something suspended in the center.

“Turn it around, Jim,” Spock said.

Kirk did as suggested. “Wow!” he said, awestruck. The glass on the opposing side magnified the speck considerably, allowing a close-up of it. It was a grain of sand with his own face carved upon it. “That’s amazing, Spock. Where did you get it?”

“I saw an exhibition of micro-sculptures during our layover on Starbase 4, three months ago and discovered the artist took commissions, so I placed one with her at the time.”

That had been the second of their shoreleaves they had taken together, Kirk recalled. Spending that time alone, their friendship had deepened considerably and, he now realized, the sexual tension between them had already begun. By the time he had met up with McCoy on the third day for some carousing, although he had been unaware its source, he badly needed to release his pent-up sexual energy. While he had been fucking his brains out, Spock had gone to an art exhibition. He smiled inwardly at their differences.

“What kind of technology does she use?” Kirk asked, intrigued.

“None, only traditional tools. In order to achieve her results, she slows down her cardiovascular system and then works between heartbeats to avoid hand tremors.”

Kirk was stunned and gazed at it with new eyes, wondering at the patience and care it must have taken to make. “I love it, thank you,” he said finally and turned to kiss Spock thoroughly. “Now it’s your turn.”

Spock carefully removed the wrapping paper from the present, to reveal a box slightly larger than the one Kirk had just received. Taking the lid off, he watched as the Vulcan first peered inside and then put his hand in to pull out the hidden contents.

It was a small sculpture made up of a black carbon base beneath an orb consisting of two hemispheres, one of iron and one of copper. On the base in bronze, made up from copper and iron, were inscribed the letters IDIC.

It was also a commissioned piece and Kirk found the coincidence amusing. Spock examined it both with his eyes and his hands, feeling the textures of each of the components. “It’s beautiful,” Spock said.

“Of course it is – it represents you,” Kirk replied, his voice betraying the emotion he felt.

Spock reached out and gently caressed his cheek. “I love you, James Kirk,” he said quietly.

The words brought a tightening feeling to Kirk’s chest. “I love you too, Spock…so damn much.” He picked up the Vulcan’s hand and kissed the palm. “I’m having a hard time taking this all in,” he admitted with a smile. “I haven’t felt this dazed since I was told I was getting command of the _Enterprise_.”

“Indeed? In this instance, you will not always have command.”

Kirk grinned. “Is that a threat, Mr. Spock?”

“Consider it a promise, Captain.” Spock ran his fingers over Kirk’s face and then suddenly found them taken and inspected. “How are they?” There was no sign of the little welts that had been there earlier. “I can’t believe you’ve never seen nettles before.”

Spock was unable to hold back his amusement, which he knew Kirk would see.

“Spock?” Kirk clearly looked nonplused.

“I was of the opinion that the circumstances between us required advancing,” he explained.

“You deliberately stung yourself?” Kirk laughed quietly at Spock’s ingenuity.

“I did miscalculate, however,” Spock admitted.

“How so?”

“I gravely underestimated the sensitivity of my fingers. It appears that my own oral stimulus has considerably less effect on me, physiologically, than when you are the perpetrator.”

“You mean when I sucked on them, you nearly came in your pants?”

“Colorfully put, but essentially correct,” he agreed with a twitch of his lips. “I found also when I inserted my finger into you, it created an added stimulus for me that I had not anticipated.”

They kissed again, this time allowing it to deepen and intensify, until Kirk had to break off, gasping for air. His breathing sounded loud in the stillness of the night.

“We’re not going to be able to make love without waking up the whole house,” he said mournfully and sank back against his pillows with a sense of dejection. Now that he and Spock had stepped over the threshold to this newfound intimacy, he could barely keep his hands off his lover.

As Kirk lay there, he watched as Spock reached out and touched his hardened cock with featherlight caresses and was reminded how the Vulcan had confessed to wishing he could have done that to him the previous day. That had also been the first time he had ever seen Spock with an erection.

“Did you jack off yesterday morning in the bathroom?” he asked the Vulcan unexpectedly.

“No, however I came to regret it after I became highly aroused on hearing you masturbating.”

“I was thinking of you,” Kirk admitted, enjoying the feel of Spock’s hand stroking him.

“Specify.”

“I fantasized you were standing to one side of me, watching me in the mirror and touching yourself in response to what I was doing.”

Spock felt a tingle run through him and was immediately intrigued. “Will you share this with me now in a meld?” he asked. “We can add some interesting components.”

Kirk grinned. “Mmm, I like the idea of you seeing what I did – I think I’ve always been a bit of an exhibitionist…what components?”

“There are a number of possibilities,” Spock explained. “The one that appeals, if I may, would be to take what you actually did yesterday morning together with what you imagined I was doing. However, you will see it through my eyes as I show you how it would have been for me to witness your solitary intimacy.”

“An interactive fantasy?” Kirk felt himself harden further at the thought. “This telepathic aspect of our relationship is going to offer some interesting possibilities,” he added with a grin.

Spock shifted Kirk onto him so that the human’s head rested on his shoulder and then placing his right hand on Kirk’s face, quietly spoke the ritual words.

~*~

_The bathroom lights are extinguished save for a small lamp above the mirror which casts a dim illumination, leaving much in shadow. I have just exited the shower stall when you enter the bathroom, seemingly unaware of my being there._

_You stand before the mirror, gazing at your yourself as if deep in thought. From my position, my eyes sweep over your body, taking in your fair hair highlighted by the solitary lamp, your broad shoulders, the firm planes of your broad back and your firm, rounded buttocks._

_I look at the reflection of your face, handsome and familiar, yet you look different. I automatically search my memory for another instance of this expression and discover it is entirely new. The reason why I have never before seen it comes to me – it is because it is you, unmasked, as you are when you are alone, without the burden of command, without the facade you present to the world. It is this realization, more than your nakedness, that reminds me I am intruding upon your privacy, yet despite knowing I should alert you to my presence, it is as though a force is holding me captive and I remain rooted to the spot._

_In the mirror, I observe as you run a hand over your glistening chest, allowing the fingertips to graze your nipples, which results in them stiffening to small peaks. You play with them and the contact causes a tremor to run through your body, and my own echoes a response._

_You ease one hand down the corrugated leanness of your flat abdomen, following a line of hair that leads to a flowering erection that you take in your hand to commence a gentle caress._

_I have rarely seen you naked, and certainly have never witnessed you touching yourself intimately. At the sight, I feel an answering throb as arousal surges through me like a tidal wave, a flood of pleasure that prompts me to take myself into my hand, feeling the hot flesh grow rigid in my palm._

_Closing your eyes, you begin to stroke your penis, feeling it, pumping it slowly with long, exaggerated strokes, while your other hand cups your testicles, moving them around. Your head lolls back and your mouth opens in pleasure, with groans and gasps, indicating you are enjoying the sensations._

_Unable to stop myself, I pump my own erection to your rhythm, my eyes fixated on your full, firm flesh. The sensations are so intense I can scarcely breathe, and I feel impossibly swollen, as though I am about to burst._

_Without breaking your stroke, you open your eyes and at first, you appear to me not to be focused on anything. I then realize with a shock that you are indeed aware of my presence and that you are watching my engorged sex as I pleasure myself, the sight of what I am doing feeding your lust._

_Something deep inside me blooms, making me bold, and I continue to work myself, fed by your arousal, now centered on me and my actions, as I am on you, both of us experiencing the eroticism of sharing an intimacy that we normally keep private._

_You change your pace, alternating between long, sensuous strokes of the entire shaft and short jabs on the head. A drop of your essence slips out and slides down the head of your manhood in a single trail. Another appears and you stop all movement to touch your thumb to the slit and spread the drop of your arousal around and under the crown until it glistens._

_The rousing sight of your readiness and the knowledge that it is my own intimate actions which are firing your fervor, causes my penis to harden further. It twitches once deep inside, and the slow, deep throb of pleasure begins to feel more intense._

_You begin to speed up your pace, stroking yourself from base to tip as you change the pressure from lighter to harder squeezes, up and down, getting closer, stroking more firmly, faster, harder. Your eyes remain riveted on what I am doing to my hot, swollen flesh as with breathless, urgent gasps, you jerk and thrust until you feel your testicles lift, your muscles contract and then with a grunt you are gushing in spurts towards the mirror._

_The sight of your intense orgasm is so stimulating, it is with the last shreds of my self-control that I feel tremors shake my body. The shaft and head of my erection is as hard as rock, every vein and artery, big and small, standing out taut from the shaft. The first pulse of semen is traveling up inside my shaft and every centimeter it moves is filled with pleasure._

_My whole body convulses in the first of a series of spasms as the first pulse flies from me and my penis pauses, before firing off another. We both watch the thick stream of white liquid spurt out of the opening, my cock flicking upwards hard with each spurt, then drooping with each pause. Ripples of ecstasy flood through me, changing me, making me indelibly yours._

~*~

When Spock released his fingers from the meld, Kirk was not in the least surprised to find their bodies pasted together with semen, as their erections began to subside. With difficulty, as his muscles appeared to have turned to rubber, he pushed himself up to look into Spock’s eyes. “That was unbelievable, it felt so real,” he said, a note of awe in his voice. “It has to rank as the hottest, sexiest fantasy I’ve ever had!”

“Indeed. You have a most…fertile imagination, Jim,” Spock agreed with a smile. “It presents us with some interesting future possibilities.”

“That all came from me?” Kirk asked, clearly surprised.

“Mostly, although I added several embellishments,” Spock conceded and Kirk grinned and kissed him.

“I hope we didn’t make too much noise,” he said as an afterthought.

“Negative, it was all in our minds. Orgasm is an event produced by a physical stimulus sending messages via the nervous system to a number of areas of the brain, which in turn feed back to the reproductive system. The meld essentially allowed us to short-circuit the initial physical stimulus, through direct stimulation of the relevant brain centers.”

Kirk was intrigued. “So could we do that and have an orgasm without any physical manifestation of it?”

“It is possible, although I believe it would be physically less satisfying.”

Kirk grinned. “As you say, some interesting future possibilities. Right now we need to clean up.”

In order to keep noise to a minimum, the two men took a sonic shower and retired back to their bed. Tired from their exertions, after whispered words of love and commitment, they quickly fell asleep.

~*~

“Jim, Spock!” Winona called up the stairs.

It was almost three hours later when the two men made their way to the family room and after exchanging Christmas greetings, joined Winona and Bob for breakfast. Afterwards, they settled around the tree to open their gifts. It was a poignant moment for Kirk as the memories of past Christmases reminded him once again of loss of his brother.

Winona announced that she and Bob would be gone for a while to do some community volunteer work collecting some of the elderly people in the area and taking them to a community hall for a Christmas lunch. Kirk offered to help, but his mother would hear none of it, reminding him he was on leave and due to be back on duty later that day.

Once they were alone, the two men shared kisses in front of the fire, wanting to enjoy the freedom to do so while their shoreleave lasted. It was Spock who suggested they go outside to build a snowman.

“I thought you hated snow,” Kirk said, genuinely surprised.

“I have discovered that when adequately attired and with the right person, it can be…fun,” the Vulcan admitted.

Outside, they worked together to build a snowman and borrowed a hat and scarf from Winona’s collection to finish him off. They stood back, hand in hard, to admire their work.

“That’s the biggest I’ve ever managed to build,” Kirk declared. He had understood Spock’s reason for choosing this activity, reminding him what a very special man the Vulcan was. He turned to his lover, gratitude in his eyes. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“You have spoken of your love several times, but I do not believe you included a quantity.”

“Smart ass!” said Kirk with a grin.

“I am gratified you think so, Jim. I appreciate yours also.” Spock ducked as a snowball flew over his head and retreated towards the house, gratified to see his captain clearly relaxed and enjoying himself.

Inside, they warmed themselves up by sharing body heat beside the fire, holding each other in a tight embrace. Kirk was the first to loosen his arms enough to allow him to kiss Spock tenderly.

He pulled away and looked into the dark eyes of his lover. “I can’t believe deepening our friendship to this didn’t occur to me until my mom’s assumption that we already had, a couple of days ago.”

“There are none so blind as those who will not see,” Spock quoted. “I am likewise guilty of it. It was your mother’s comments also which prompted me to re-examine what we shared and what the possibilities could be.”

“Talking of possibilities that could be, Spock, I’ve had a lot of relationships in the past, but I want to make this one the last. Would you consider a bond with me?”

“You want this?” the Vulcan asked hesitantly.

“Never more so. When you go through your next Pon Farr, I want to be the one you turn to in your need. It’s not just that I’m in love with you, Spock, it’s that I can’t conceive of a life without you in it, at my side.” Kirk saw uncertainty turn to joy on Spock’s normally unexpressive face.

“I would be honored, Jim, beyond words.”

They kissed deeply, sharing their happiness together. Kirk wanted desperately to make love with Spock again, feeling the Vulcan’s erection pressing against his own, but he had no idea what time his mother and uncle would return. Before things got too far, he reluctantly withdrew.

Panting, his face flushed, he grinned. “I think we should do something neutral to calm ourselves down before mom gets home. How about a game of chess?”

“Agreed,” Spock said, but his actions did not mirror his words as he continued to hold his precious lover in his embrace.

After several more kisses, Kirk extricated himself and went up to his bedroom, returning a few minutes later with a 2D chess set. After setting it up on the breakfast table, the two men sat opposite each other, their feet and hands intertwined as they played, chatted and enjoyed a profound sense of well-being in each other’s company. Winona and Bob returned half an hour later, just as they were concluding their first game and they pulled back to sit apart.

Wanting to get the Christmas lunch started, Winona sent them to the greenhouse to choose some vegetables.

“Mind the nettles, Spock!” Kirk couldn’t resist teasing quietly. “You don’t want to hurt yourself again.”

“On the contrary, I believe I am highly motivated to sting myself again,” Spock retorted.

Kirk felt a throb in his groin at the memories of their lovemaking. “You only have to ask…” Spock’s openly adoring expression stopped him. “Actually, my gorgeous lover, you only have to look at me like that…”

“And…?” Spock asked, teasingly.

“And I’ll be putty in your hands.” Kirk looked at him with tenderness.

“I am unaware of the phrase, but believe I understand the sentiment,” Spock quietly responded, and reached out to caress Kirk’s face lovingly. Kirk pressed himself into the touch and then taking the hand, moved it to his lips to press an affectionate kiss to the Vulcan’s palm. The look they exchanged spoke clearly of their feelings for one another.

Unknown to them, Winona had moved to a part of the kitchen to retrieve some serving bowls that gave her a direct view of the greenhouse. Catching the loving gesture, she smiled to herself, pleased that her plan to leave them alone the previous night had apparently given them enough time and space to progress what she could see had been inevitable. She was happy that her son had finally found his true love.

~*~

At 4pm precisely, Kirk and Spock stood in the entranceway with their bags and Winona was unable to hold back tears.

“Take care of yourself, Mom,” Kirk said as he hugged her.

“I’m so glad you two figured things out,” she whispered back with a sniff.

Kirk pushed her away just far enough to be able to look into her face, as if he would be able to divine from her expression how she had realized. All he got was a wink and a big smile.

Within an hour, at 22:54 ship’s time, they beamed back aboard the _Enterprise_. With the spacedock repair facility about to go live at midnight, they would technically be on duty soon. Going to their respective cabins, they dropped off their luggage and changed into uniform for what had the potential to be a long night.

Kirk’s comm whistle blew. It was Spock, no words, just a look. He was at his First Officer’s door in a moment.

“Spock?”

They moved into each other’s embrace and kissed for the first time in uniform. It felt odd to Kirk, as if their shoreleave had been another reality. There was going to be much to get used to, and decisions to be made from the mundane, such as sleeping arrangements, to the most important, which was when they would bond. They would also have to decide on announcements – not just their families, friends and colleagues, but the consideration as to whether they should seek Starfleet’s prior approval or present them with a ‘fait accompli’.

“I wished to test the promise you made me in your mother’s greenhouse, Captain” he explained. “Apparently you are good for it.”

“Just don’t make a habit of it while we’re working, First Officer, or I may have to punish you for dereliction of duty.”

Spock’s lips twitched. “Indeed?”

Kirk took Spock’s fingers and sucked, watching with satisfaction as Spock’s body trembled. As abruptly as he started, he stopped and smiled wickedly. “Indeed!”

 

[finis]


End file.
